Lawrie, Escobar have different takes on text apology

KANSAS CITY -- Before the A's and Royals met again in the middle of the diamond during a 5-0 Oakland victory, contradictory messages raced between their clubhouses.

On one end, Royals shortstop Alcides Escobar claimed he had yet to hear from A's third baseman Brett Lawrie, who slid into Escobar while attempting to break up what he thought could be a double play in the seventh inning of Friday's opener, causing a mild strain and contusion to Escobar's left knee.

KANSAS CITY -- Before the A's and Royals met again in the middle of the diamond during a 5-0 Oakland victory, contradictory messages raced between their clubhouses.

On one end, Royals shortstop Alcides Escobar claimed he had yet to hear from A's third baseman Brett Lawrie, who slid into Escobar while attempting to break up what he thought could be a double play in the seventh inning of Friday's opener, causing a mild strain and contusion to Escobar's left knee.

Except Lawrie did the same thing and has text messages from a number he was told belonged to Escobar, given to him by friend and Royals first baseman Eric Hosmer.

"I reached out to him [Friday] night in a text message, and he got it," said Lawrie. "I have the text message. I did reach out to him, and I sent a number of paragraphs and he messaged me back and he didn't really seem to care about my apology to him. He actually said it was stupid and that it was intentional.

"He actually thought I did it on purpose, and I sent him another message back and said, 'I'm never out to get anyone, man. I've known you since Milwaukee. Every time I see you, we wish each other best of luck.' I'm the one who extended myself out there."

From Escobar: "No, he don't say nothing. I don't hear nothing from him. Yeah, I'm surprised because when you do a guy like that you say, 'My bad.' He don't say nothing. I don't know why."

Escobar could have started Saturday's game but was held out of the lineup as a precaution, though he was considered available in an emergency. Lawrie was back in the lineup and was hit by a pitch in the fourth inning, resulting in the immediate ejection of Royals right-hander Yordano Ventura. More >

Escobar said he believed Lawrie committed "a dirty slide," mostly because, from his vantage point, it was not a double-play situation. Lawrie, however, believed a double play to be in the works, having not seen how the entire play unfolded as he was running to second base.

"When you're at first base and you see a ball off the bat, your first instinct is to get to second base," said Lawrie. "So when I saw it off the bat, it's not like I can stop and watch the play and see what happens. I'm the runner, and I'm just trying to break up a double play. That's all it was.

"He stood right on the bag, so how am I supposed to know he's not going to take that throw and turn around and spin it and get him at first, even though he may be safe at first? The intention was never there to hurt anyone. The intention is there to just cover us and hopefully we don't run into a double play."

"To be able to think on your feet that quickly when your instincts tell you one thing, that you need to break up a double play, there was certainly no intent to hurt anybody," said A's manager Bob Melvin, who relayed his concern for Escobar. "It was just one of those things in baseball that happens, unfortunately."